Factors Influencing Substance Abuse among Youth in Lamu County A Case of Faza Ward- East Sub County

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors influencing drug and substance abuse among youth in Lamu County. According to NACADA (2015), about 200,000,000 people worldwide abuse drugs. Despite NACADA’s and other groups’ interventions, drug abuse is on the increase; with over 30% of youth in Kenya abusing various types of drugs. In the first chapter of this paper, the researcher presents an introduction to the study and also a brief explanation of the problem that prompted the study. The specific objectives of the study was; to establish how literacy levels influence drug and substance abuse among the youth, to evaluate the influence of type of employment on drug and substance abuse among the youth, to establish the role of availability of drugs and substance in drug and substance abuse among the youth, and to evaluate the County strategies in place to counter drug abuse. The researcher used descriptive research design because it facilitated the research operation thereby making the research efficient and yielding maximum information with minimal expenditure of effort, time and money. The study targeted both male and female persons aged between 18 to 30 years. Purposive sampling was used to select the locations in which to carry out the study by selecting the worst hit areas. The data collection instrument used in this study was a questionnaire. The questionnaire contained both open and closed ended questions. It was self-administered where the respondents answered themselves. In situations where the respondents had difficulties, the researcher aided in administering the questionnaire. After seeking and obtaining permission and individual consent, the questionnaires was hand delivered to respondents. The questionnaires were then collected dully filled for analysis. The questionnaire tool also acted as a guide for the researcher in moderating focused group discussions with male and female youth study participants separately. After the questionnaires were administered, and FGDs conducted, the raw data collected was systematically organized so as to facilitate analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis; data was analyzed using IBM SSPS software Version 20. Quantitative data was changed into numbers by counting the number of times a specific thing occurs in the course of observation and interviews and by assigning numbers/ratings to dimension. The study findings were that literacy levels, availability of drugs, counseling, and county level strategies had no significant effect on drug abuse. County level strategies also had a bearing on the relationship between drug abuse and the other factors. However, occupation had no link and significant relationship with substance abuse. The recommendations were that community based organizations, county governments, the national government, and other relevant stakeholders should reduce focus on other factors and devote attention and resources to county level strategies.